Evolution of land use. Inventory and analysis

Abstract

The process of transformation of human, economic and environmental structures in mountain areas implies a complex parallel process of change in land use. The inventory and subsequent analysis of such changes over the 1957-1987 period have provided the information necessary to evaluate the spatial repercussions of a process which is characterized, basically, by an evolution of land use in two directions. The major tendency is the spread of extensive agriculture on the one hand while, on the other, the minority tendency is towards intensive agriculture, which is applied in small areas. Through the detailed description and analysis of this land use evolution, numerous points of coincidence with other research themes within the HIGH PYRENEES MAB-6 programme have been established. Likewise, the study has confirmed the existence of a high degree of interconnection among both the indicators of the general problems of the area and also possible measures to be applied with a view to stimulating development.